I have Pi2aes with LPS (running RoPieeeXL, HqPlayer upsampling, to Holo Spring 3 KTE), tried some Innuos and Aurender streamers that local shop had for demo, and never found them worth the price difference. Paying 2-3k (or 5k!) for "I think I heard the difference on that song" is not worth it in my system, maybe would be if i have 50-100k setup, but for ~15-20k for my whole system definitely its not. So, be sure to try before buying and see if that money would better spent into something else.
Streamer Comparison and Suggestions
I am considering options for a new streamer for the specific purpose of improving sound quality as a Roon endpoint feeding a DAC.
The set-up:
- networked server/Roon core in a separate room
- connection to my main system using fiber, a converter and LPS
- very short Ethernet cable into dual Bonn N8 switches
- Network Acoustics Ethernet cable then muon filter
- Metrum Acoustics Ambre Roon endpoint/streamer (currently)
- Variety of DACs having USB, S/PDIF, and AES/EBU input options
The Ambre is a Raspberry Pi based device with internal LPS and femto clocking. I am curious whether some of the more expensive, more well-known streamer options may result in improved sound quality as a Roon endpoint feeding my DAC - which is my only goal. I intend to continue using Roon to control Tidal, Qobuz, and my server stored music files so the addition of fancy touchscreens, on-board storage, or optional player software will not affect my decision unless the device also offers improved sound quality.
Streamers I have been considering are in the $5-8K price range and include:
- Sonore Signature Rendu SE (optical or otherwise - USB output only) $5,300
- Innuos Pulsar (USB output only) $7,999
- Auralic Aries G2.2 (lots of flexibility) $6,099
Thanks for any suggestions and specifically any comparisons between the streamers listed above.